


An Unexpected Turn

by proud2bdifferent



Category: Glee, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, Sebastian Smythe is Barry Allen | The Flash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:16:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7976521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/proud2bdifferent/pseuds/proud2bdifferent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a new metahuman in town that is actually trying to use their powers for good, Sebastian is determined to get them on Team Flash. But when he finds out that it's Kurt Hummel, things start to become a little more complicated.</p>
<p>Or what happens when I daydream about would happen if Sebastian was the Flash, and Kurt was a metahuman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> So, after planning, writing, procrastinating, and generally being lazy for more than six months (I got this idea in December of 2015), I have decided to post this story. I hope you like it!

Sebastian raced through Central City as he tried to distract himself from his rough day. First, there was the fact that he couldn’t save Bette, who was the first metahuman besides himself who wasn’t bent on causing mayhem. And then there was Iris, who didn’t understand the danger she would be in if she continued to blog about the Streak, causing Sebastian to have to put space between them. And with all the recent drama in his life, Sebastian really needed his best friend.

“Ooh,” Cisco’s voice interrupted Sebastian’s thoughts. “Bank robbery at First and Eighth.”

“Got it.”

Sebastian turned left, then right and then right again. When he reached the bank, he was prepared to fight, but slowed to a stop when he saw someone - besides the two robbers - already there. The person - a man - was standing in the middle of the bank in front of the two robbers. Sebastian moved to crouch behind the counter and listened to what the mystery man was saying.

“You do realize this is against the law, right?” The man drawled.

“What are you going to do about it?” The first robber asked as he pointed his gun at the man.

“This…” The man held out his hands and Sebastian was amazed when all of a sudden the guns from both robbers flew out of their hands and landed in the mystery man’s. _So he’s a metahuman._

The second robber gasped. “You’re one of those people with superpowers I keep hearing rumors about.”

“Well, duh.”

The sound of sirens could be heard, causing the two robbers to try to run past the man and through the back door. Sebastian stood up a little higher in case the metahuman needed help.

But his assistance wasn’t needed, because the man reacted quickly. He stuck his arms out and the robbers froze, as if they stepped in cement. They tried to break out of the metahuman’s hold, but they were unsuccessful.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The man grumbled.

Sebastian noticed that the man’s hands were shaking slightly and he wondered of this was the first time he had stopped someone from moving. Although he didn’t have the same abilities, Sebastian assumed that it must have been difficult for the man to use his power on humans.

Sebastian was about to reveal his presence and offer his help when the doors flew open and the police rushed in. The speedster had a feeling that the other metahuman didn’t want to be caught, so Sebastian sped to the back door and grabbed the man on the way out.

Sebastian stopped at the top of the roof and took a few steps back from the man to get a better look at him.

His hair was ruffled - probably from getting whooshed up to the roof - and he wore a black mask over his eyes. Like the eye mask, the rest of his ensemble was black. He wore a leather jacket and pants along with fingerless gloves. And with combat boots to finish the look, Sebastian had to admit that he looked pretty damn hot.

“Wow,” the man breathed. “You must be the Streak that everyone keeps talking about.”

“I actually prefer the Flash.” Sebastian remarked.

“Well, _Flash_ , what do you want?” The man crossed his arms and cocked his hip out, reminding Sebastian of someone he couldn’t place.

“I just wanted to learn more about the metahuman who is actually using their powers for good.”

The man’s nose scrunched up in confusion. “Metahuman?”

“It’s the term for people affected by the particle accelerator explosion.” Sebastian explained.

“Got it.” The man took a deep breath. “So, is that all? I have work in the morning and I would like to get at least a few hours of sleep.”

“Well, I happen to work with a team and I was wondering if you wanted to maybe join us…”

Sebastian spoke with hesitance, but when the man seemed interested, he barreled on. “They’re up at STAR Labs and-”

Suddenly the man’s eyes turned into a glare underneath the mask. “No.”

“What? Why? You’d have amazing resources and -”

“I’m not going to work with the people that caused me to slip into a coma for two months -”

“I was in one for nine.”

“And caused a ton of deaths and damage all over the city.”

“C’mon, it wasn’t their fault.” Sebastian was starting to get really tired of everyone blaming STAR Labs for the results of the particle accelerator. Couldn’t they understand that people make mistakes?

“Then who caused the explosion, huh?” The man shook his head. “Look, I’m not going to work with you. End of story.”

And then the man jumped up and flew away into the night sky. Now that was something Sebastian didn’t see every day.  
\---  
“So he just flew away?”

Sebastian stood in STAR Labs the next morning after retelling what had happened the night before.

He turned to Caitlin and answered, “Yeah, but it was so weird seeing another metahuman actually want to help people.” He sighed. “Cisco, can you search him up in the hospital records? He mentioned being in a coma for two months.”

Cisco moved to the computer and started typing.

After a moment, he yelled, “Found him!” Cisco leaned back to let the others have a look at him, and when Sebastian laid eyes on the man, he immediately recognized him.

“I know him.”

“Really?” Caitlin asked. “How?”

“We met when I was in high school.” Sebastian couldn’t believe that of all people to be turned into a metahuman, it was the guy whose boyfriend he had tried to steal.

“That’s great, dude!” Cisco exclaimed. “You tell him you’re identity; he trusts you, and bam! He’s on the team!”

Sebastian sighed. “Yeah, it’s not going to work like that.”

“Why?”

“He hates me.” A lot of people hated him, actually.

“How could someone hate you?” Caitlin walked over to him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Sebastian scratched the back of his neck and looked at the floor in embarrassment. “I wasn’t exactly the nicest person in high school.”

“You?” Caitlin chuckled. “I mean, yeah, at times you can be a little snarky, but -”

“I was more than just a little snarky, Caitlin. I was…” Sebastian trailed off as he glanced at the screen and stared at the face of a man he hadn't thought about in years. His time in high school was filled with plenty of cringe worthy moments that Sebastian had pretty much blocked out.

“I’m gonna go for a walk.” Sebastian didn't wait for a reply. He sped out of STAR Labs before coming to a normal pace when he reached the sidewalk out front.

There were so many thoughts swirling in his head, but the one that was at the forefront of his mind was, _I can't believe I found Kurt Hummel hot._  
\---  
Sebastian thanked the barista with a forced smile on his face. He couldn't stand the place, but since he was currently avoiding Iris (which included Jitters) and couldn't survive without coffee, Starbucks would have to do.

Sebastian sipped his drink and glanced around the shop, finding that there were no empty tables available. He turned to his left and smirked when he found Kurt Hummel sitting at a table typing away at his laptop.

It had been a few days since Sebastian had found out that the metahuman was Kurt, and he had been pondering the ways to get him on Team Flash. He guessed now was as good a time as any to reacquaint himself with his old enemy.

Sebastian waltzed over to Kurt’s table and sat himself down in front of the man. The sudden movement had caught Kurt’s attention and Sebastian smirked as annoyance crept over Kurt’s features.

“Seriously? It’s been seven years and you’re still harassing me in coffee shops. Although this definitely isn’t as good as the Lima Bean.”

“Amen to that.” Sebastian took a sip of his coffee. “Now, I’m just wondering what you’re doing here.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian as if he couldn’t be any stupider. “To get coffee…”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I meant here in Central City. I thought you were in New York.”

Kurt sighed. “Plans change… I now work for the fashion magazine, _Chic &Belle _ ; their headquarters are here. It’s definitely a step down from _Vogue_ , but -”

“You worked at _Vogue_?” Although Sebastian didn’t really pay attention to fashion, he knew that _Vogue_ was a pretty successful magazine.

“Why the surprise? _I_ know how to dress.”

Sebastian glanced at Kurt’s outfit and while it wasn’t something Sebastian himself would wear, it did look good. And now that Sebastian was looking at Kurt’s body, Sebastian couldn’t help but see that puberty hit Kurt with a freight train.

“And what are _you_ doing here?”

“Sorry, what?”

 Kurt sighed impatiently. “Why are you in Central City?”

“Oh. I work as a CSI at the CCPD.”

“Really?” Was it just Sebastian, or did Kurt look impressed?

“Yeah, I’m actually working on a tough case right now. There was a robbery a few days ago and when the police arrested the robbers, they claimed that a man with telekenesis stopped them. Weird, right?”

“Yeah…” Sebastian tried to see if Kurt’s facial expression could reveal anything, but _damn,_ Kurt was good at concealing his emotions.

 Kurt looked like he was about to say something when Sebastian’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and sighed in annoyance when he saw that it was Captain Singh.

“Sorry, I have to get to work.” Sebastian stood up. “It was nice seeing you Gay Face.”

 What? He couldn’t resist.

 “You too, Meerkat.”

 “Bye, Betty.” Sebastian called as he made his way out of the shop. He wasn’t entirely sure what Kurt said back, but he was almost certain it was, “Bye, Chipmunk.”

\---  
Later that evening, Sebastian was patrolling the city when he noticed a figure in black standing in an alley. At further inspection, he realized it was Kurt in costume. He zipped over, hoping the man had changed his mind.

“Have you thought about my offer?”

Kurt jumped slightly and turned around. When he realized who it was, his eyes turned into an icy glare. “Are you following me now?”

“I just want to help you.”

“Well, I don’t want your help.” Kurt turned around and shot up into the air. He was about to fly away, when Sebastian spoke up.

“Kurt, wait!”

The metahuman immediately dropped onto the ground and stared at him, his eyes wide beneath the mask.

“How do you know my name?”

“You mentioned that you were in a coma for two months, so I had one of my friends at STAR Labs search through the hospital records.”

“You hacked into the hospital to find out who I was? Why don’t you track down my ex-fiancé too?”

Sebastian was slightly confused at the “ex-fiancé” but shook it off to say, “Eh, chasing after Blaine doesn’t really hold its appeal anymore.” He smirked as recognition dawned in Kurt’s eyes.

“Sebastian?”

Sebastian pulled back his hood. He paused - for dramatic effect, of course - and said, “The one and only.”

“Wow,” Kurt took off his mask, shock evident in his expression. “I always thought if you were to get super powers you would become a villain.”

“Very funny…” Sebastian drawled. “Now, since I gave you my secret identity, why don't you give me something in return?”

 “What do you have in mind?” The way Kurt looked at Sebastian told the speedster that Kurt had something _totally_ different to what he was thinking of.

 “Nothing like that,” Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I meant that maybe you could join -”

 “I'm not going to work with STAR Labs. So, will you _please_ let it go?” Kurt looked like he was ready to fly off again. And Sebastian was not going to let that happen until he convinced the man to join the team.

“No, because you are letting your dislike for STAR Labs stop you from saving people!” Why was Kurt being _so_ dramatic?

“I save people pretty fine on my own.” Kurt shot up and hovered a few feet above the ground.

 “Goodbye… Flash.” Kurt ignored Sebastian’s “Kurt, wait!” as he put his mask back on before flying away into the night sky.

“Dammit!” Sebastian cursed. He raced back home, ready for a night of plotting. He hated to admit it, but the team could really use Kurt.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait! I've been super busy with school and life in general, but I should be able to get more time to write soon. I hope you like this next chapter!

“Yes, Ms. Roberts, I’ll get that done as soon as possible.”

After watching his boss walk away, Kurt dropped his head into his hands and groaned. While writing articles frequently was part of his job as a print journalist, the added stress was not what Kurt needed. He was starting to forget the reasons as to why he had moved to Central City.

After his third breakup with Blaine, Kurt had decided that he needed a break from New York. While Isabelle Wright - who Kurt had been working for since he graduated NYADA - was upset that he was leaving, she had supported him completely. With Isabelle’s suggestion, Kurt had sent his resume to the magazine _Chic &Belle _ , whose headquarters were in Central City. He had been offered a role of print journalist and had accepted it with gratitude. But on his way to the city, something went wrong. 

Isabelle had insisted on Kurt using _Vogue_ 's private jet when he moved to Central City and why would Kurt pass up on the offer? Well, that was his mistake because the night they were scheduled to land in Central City was the same night as the particle accelerator explosion.

The plane had started to experience some turbulence and then all the power had gone out. The pilot and flight crew had rushed to open the doors of the quickly descending plane and had helped the shaking Kurt into a parachute. After he had jumped out, Kurt could remember the way he had slowly come to a stop mid air while some unknown energy passed through him. And then he woke up in a hospital bed two months later with barely a scratch on him.

Once he was out of his coma, Kurt had learned that the particle accelerator was the cause of the crash and the loss of part of his wardrobe in some field. He had soon developed a strong hatred for STAR Labs.

After a week resting in the hospital, Kurt was ready to start work. Because, as he had repeatedly told the doctor, he was _fine._ The editor immediately started him on a list of things Kurt needed to do. It was exhausting yet exhilarating, and Kurt became far too busy to notice anything different about himself. 

Four months after the explosion, after he got out of the hospital and made a few friends, Kurt finally started to notice something. He noticed that he could jump higher when he tried to reach for things and when he got up in the mornings and was too tired to move, he practically floated to the bathroom.

But the moment Kurt realized that there was something _really_ wrong with himself was when he was watching Harry Potter and tried to see if he could get the remote to come to him by saying "Accio, remote." He was, of course, surprised when the remote had come flying into his outstretched hand. 

Kurt had spent the next few weeks after that lifting things up and down in his apartment before deciding to see if he could fly. He had run to the alley behind his apartment building and had started to run. He had then taken a giant leap and his heart had soared when he realized that he was slightly levitating above the ground, but his joy was soon diminished when he crashed back down and had gotten a sprained ankle. He had then made the startling realization that he wasn't going to be able to master different aspects of his ability in one day.

He did eventually master flying, though, but he didn't do anything with his accomplishment immediately afterwards. He didn't have the time - or the energy - to play superhero.

A little more than nine months after the particle accelerator explosion, Kurt had started to hear things about the Streak. He was definitely surprised to hear that something (or someone, as Kurt had theorized) was out there saving people. Kurt had soon realized that he must have been given this gift for a reason, and a few sleepless nights would be a small sacrifice to pay if he was out helping people.

He soon got into a routine. Every night Kurt would go out and try to find people to save. Usually he just stopped robbers and thieves, trying his best not to attract any attention to himself. He didn't think anyone would figure out there was another person with powers. At least not until the Streak approached him… 

Kurt was shaken out of his thoughts when his coworker came up to him and said, “Hey, Kurt, there’s someone at the front desk looking for you.”

“Okay,” Kurt stood up. “Thanks for telling me, Monica.”

He walked out of the office that he shared with the other print journalists and made his way down the hall as he wondered who could be waiting for him at the front desk. Kurt hadn’t really made any friends - at least not ones who would visit him at his workplace. For a small moment he thought that Blaine could have found him, but he quickly tossed that thought away. 

His curiosity morphed into annoyance though, when he saw Sebastian talking to the receptionist.

He marched up to the man and asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Let me take you out to lunch.” At Kurt’s glare, Sebastian quickly added, “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, I just want to talk.”

Kurt’s glare increased as he thought about Sebastian’s question. Was it worth it to see what the man had to offer?

Kurt sighed. “Fine, you can take me to lunch. But I'm not agreeing to anything else.”

“That's all I ask.”  
\---   
“How did you get your powers?” 

Sebastian had brought Kurt to a small café a block away from _Chic &Belle _ ’s office building. Kurt hadn't seen it before, and hated to admit that he kind of liked it. 

“The plane I was on started to malfunction thanks to the particle accelerator and I had to jump out. I blacked out and ended up in a coma.” Kurt leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He tried to determine what Sebastian’s motive was, but couldn't come up with a legitimate answer. So, he decided to ask.

“Why did you ask me to come here?”

Sebastian shrugged before speaking. “One of the scientists at STAR Labs demanded that I talk to you, and you don't want to get her angry.” Sebastian shuddered before speaking quieter and with reluctance. “You would also be a great addition.”

“Really?” Kurt raised an eyebrow. “This coming from the guy who harassed me in high school.”

Sebastian flinched a little, but Kurt couldn't find it in himself to care. When he first saw Sebastian, he was glad that he had found someone he knew in Central City, even if said person was kind of a jerk. But when he learned the man had only spoken to him because Sebastian wanted Kurt to work with the people that caused one of the scariest moments of his life… it stung, to say the least.

“Kurt, please. I know I’m not the… nicest person to be around, but I'm not the same guy I was in high school. I've changed.” When Kurt rolled his eyes, Sebastian shook his head. “Look, I came to you because I need your help. There’s this metahuman who can turn into steel, and I...” He sighed. “Can't stop him on my own.”

“What? _The Flash_ can't stop someone?” Kurt mocked. “We're doomed!” 

“Kurt, this guy almost ran a boy over, this is serious.” 

Kurt’s eyes softened slightly, but he was still reluctant to help. “I get that, I do. But I'm not going to work with people that I don't trust.”

“Then let me prove it to you. Let me - and the rest of the team - prove that you can trust us.”

Kurt sighed. Was he really going to take this risk? He was about to reply, when Kurt thought of his last conversation with Blaine.

 

_Kurt lifted his head up when he heard the sound of the loft’s door opening. He saw Blaine stroll in with his phone to his ear, most likely talking to Sam, or one of his hook-up buddies._ _  
_

_Kurt huffed in annoyance at the reminder that his fiancé had cheated on him again. While he was upset and angry with Blaine, Kurt was mostly angry at himself for getting sucked back into the idea of having a future with Blaine._

_He had found Blaine in a rather intimate position with one of Kurt’s co-workers. Needless to say, Kurt had decided then and there that it was officially over between him and Blaine. The next step was telling Blaine this sudden realization._ _  
_

_Kurt cleared his throat when Blaine didn't seem to notice him, or the fact that the apartment was half empty._ _  
_

_“Hey, Sam, I gotta go. See you tomorrow.”_ _  
_

_Blaine walked over to Kurt and sat down on the couch next to his fiancé. (Or his soon to be ex-fiancé.)_ _  
_

_“What is it, Kurt?” Blaine seemed annoyed at the fact that Kurt was upset about something and needed to talk to him, which angered the countertenor even more._ _  
_

_“Blaine, I'm the type of person who likes to take other people’s feelings into consideration, but considering the fact that you don't do well with subtlety, I'll just come out and say it.” Kurt sighed before continuing. “I'm breaking up with you.”_ _  
_

_Blaine looked shocked. “Why?”_ _  
_

_“I caught you cheating on me with Chase.”_ _  
_

_Blaine’s eyes widened, before he tried to pass off nonchalance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

_“Really?”_

_Blaine looked as if he was about to lie again, but he instead tried to explain himself. “It didn’t mean anything, Kurt! It was just because he was constantly asking you out and-”_

_“Blaine! I don't care what your excuse is. We're done.” Kurt got off the couch and placed his engagement ring on the coffee table. “For good.”_ _  
_

_Kurt started to walk away before Blaine called out, “You’ll never find anyone else! You'll never get far without me! You'll never be successful! You’ll-”_ _  
_

 

Kurt shook himself out of his flashback before looking at Sebastian with a determined stare.

“I'm in.”

Sebastian’s eyes grew wide. “Really?” 

“Yes. But you have to promise me that I can back out anytime I want.”

“Yeah, of course.” Sebastian stuck his hand out. “Deal?”

Kurt reached out and shook Sebastian’s hand.

“Deal.”  
\---   
Sebastian led Kurt through the halls of STAR Labs, before stopping in the middle of a room. It had a row of computers set up by the entrance and screens lining the walls. There were medical and engineering supplies everywhere, and a mannequin across from the doorway that had Sebastian’s costume on it. 

“I assume this is where the Flash’s operations take place.” Kurt said as looked around the room.

“Yeah, we call it the cortex.” Sebastian stood out of Kurt’s way, most likely letting him have a feel of the room.

Kurt walked over to the mannequin and glanced at it curiously. “Aren’t you afraid that someone might walk in and see it?”

“Nah, the security here is pretty good.”

Kurt nodded before asking, “Where’s the rest of the team?”

Sebastian looked like he was about to answer, when a man with shoulder length hair walked into the room, with a woman in a lab coat following close behind.

“Hey Sebastian, I have an idea on how you can get…” The man slowed to a stop when he noticed that someone else was in the room and glanced at Kurt with confusion written on his face. “Who’s this?”

The woman standing next to the man rolled her eyes before walking over to Kurt with her hand out. “Hello, you must be Kurt Hummel. I’m Dr. Caitlin Snow, and that’s Cisco Ramon.”

Kurt shook the outstretched hand apprehensively and said, “Yeah, I am.” 

_So these are the people responsible for the destruction all over the city…_

“Wait…” The man - Cisco - said. “You’re the guy!”

Kurt gave Cisco a confused look, which prompted Caitlin to explain further. 

“What I’m sure Cisco is trying to say is that you’re the metahuman that Sebastian told us about.”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Dude, you gotta let me see you in action.” Cisco exclaimed with excitement shining in his eyes.

“Um, sure…”

Kurt glanced around the room and noticed a thermos sitting atop one of the desks. He reached his hand out and latched onto the gravitational force surrounding the thermos and jerked his hand back a little with practiced ease. The other people in the room gasped as the thermos came flying into Kurt’s hand. 

“That’s awesome…” A wide eyed Cisco said. 

Kurt shrugged before handing the thermos to Caitlin. “It's not much, you should see me lift my couch.”

“Seriously?! Okay, now I have to come up with a name that has to do with-”

“Gravity manipulation.”

Kurt turned toward the entrance to see a man in a wheelchair rolling into the cortex.

“Mr. Hummel, I presume?”

Kurt nodded. He didn’t need to question who this man was: Dr. Harrison Wells, the man who led the team on the particle accelerator; the man who caused Kurt to slip into a coma.

While Caitlin and Cisco didn't _seem_ like they wanted to cause mayhem around the city, Dr. Wells certainly did. And Kurt was going to be sure he was cautious around that guy.

\---

Kurt had spent the rest of the afternoon at STAR Labs, getting tested on and showing off his powers. He had changed into the outfit he normally used when patrolling the city, which caused Cisco to start brainstorming ideas for an improved costume. Kurt still wasn’t sure if he was going to permanently join the team, but the prospect of a new outfit was certainly the first step in getting him to.

A few minutes ago, Sebastian had sped off to go see his adoptive sister Iris (which Kurt totally was going to ask about later) who had some information about the metahuman who was stealing ATMs. Surprisingly, Sebastian hadn’t told Iris that he had superspeed, so the man had gone in his costume.

If Kurt was in Sebastian’s place, he would have immediately told his sibling. A sharp pang went through his heart at the thought of Finn. It had been more than five years, and he still missed his step-brother.

“Hey, Gravitron, you okay?”

Kurt looked up from the desk chair he was sitting in to see Cisco looking at him with concern.

The chestnut haired man shook his head. “Sorry, I spaced out. And Gravitron, really?”

Cisco shrugged. “I'm trying out names. Do you like it?”

All Cisco needed was a look from Kurt before realizing how stupid his name was.

Cisco sighed. “Fine, I'll come up with something else. So, how long has it been?”

A while ago, Caitlin decided to see how long Kurt could hold an object. Kurt glanced at the pencil floating in front of his face and then the clock. “About twenty minutes.”

“Dude, isn't your arm tired?”

Kurt was about to answer, when Caitlin said, “Sebastian, talk to us. What are you doing?”

Kurt turned to where Caitlin was looking, and noticed that the dot that tracked the speedster was moving quickly in the opposite direction of STAR Labs.

“Is he going after Tony?” Kurt moved closer to the screen.

“Oh my God, he is.” Cisco leaned toward the microphone. “Dude, don’t run angry. We don’t know how to defeat him yet.”

Caitlin groaned. “He’s going to get himself killed! What should we do?”

“Wait,” Cisco gasped and looked at Kurt with a wide grin. “Kurt can go with him!”

“What? Cisco, he hasn’t-”

“Okay.” _If anyone can stop Sebastian from causing bodily harm to himself, it’s me_. Kurt stood up and shook out his sore arm as the pencil fell to the floor.

“Are you sure?” Caitlin asked as Kurt pulled on his mask.

“Yeah, I’ve done this before.” _Well, maybe not with metahumans, but there’s a first time for everything, right?_

“Okay,” Caitlin relented. “Just...don’t hurt yourself, alright?”

“I’ll try my best.”

Kurt ignored all his nerves and the voices in his head telling him not to go as he exited the cortex.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheheheheh...I'm so sorry *hides behind cardboard cut out of the Flash*
> 
> I really have no excuse for not writing, except for a lack of motivation. But now I'm back and I am not only posting one chapter, I'm posting two (although this first chapter isn't exactly a happy one). Hopefully after this I'll post more frequently, but I'm not going to be making any promises. But thank you to those who have stuck with me <3
> 
> And now, on to the chapter...

Sebastian raced into Keystone Ironworks as anger coursed through his blood.  _ How dare that asshole approach Iris? I'm gonna end this once and for all.  _

He searched for any confirmation that this was Tony’s hideout. After finding an ATM next to a pile of money and empty beer bottles, he pressed the intercom in his ear. “This is definitely the place.”

Sebastian was about to make another perimeter check, when he heard a sound behind him. Before Sebastian knew it, Tony had punched him. Sebastian groaned in pain and clutched his jaw before Tony grumbled “You’re trespassing, freak,” and threw Sebastian into a shelf.

“There’s nowhere left to run,” Tony taunted.

Sebastian tried to get out of the way of the falling shelf, but he wasn’t fast enough -  _ surprisingly.  _ Pain flared through his body as the shelf fell on top of him. He really hoped that Caitlin and Cisco got there soon because - 

_ “ _ You should really pick on people your own size.”

The new voice could only belong to one person. 

“Who are you?” Frustration was evident in Tony’s voice.  _ God, Kurt was going to get himself killed. _

There was a short silence before Sebastian heard Kurt say, “No, Cisco, I am  _ not  _ telling him my name is Aerodynamic Man.” There was another pause, in which Sebastian assumed was Cisco responding. “Because it’s  _ ridiculous  _ and -”

“ _ Shut up.” _

Sebastian’s heart lurched up into his throat at the sound of metal creaking and then Kurt gasping for air.

“You are just like your friend.  _ Weak _ and -” A loud clang - which could only be metal hitting metal - filled the room. “What the hell?”

There was a thud which was then followed by coughing. The noise of heavy footsteps sounded and got farther away before there was a loud  _ slam. _ Sebastian winced as a moment later, hands carefully pulled him out from under the shelf. The speedster opened his eyes slowly with a groan to see Kurt crouching next him.

“Thanks...” Sebastian mumbled.

Kurt sighed. “You’re an idiot.”

\---

“What were you thinking?  _ What were you thinking?!”  _

The anger and disappointment in Dr. Wells’ voice embarrassed Sebastian even more than the actual defeat. It wasn’t everyday that you were yelled at by your idol.

“I  _ told you  _ that we would figure out a way to deal with him.”

“I’ll heal…” Sebastian grumbled.

“You can’t heal when you’re dead.” As Dr. Wells turned around Sebastian stood up. “He could have killed you  _ and  _ Mr. Hummel.”

Aggravation surged through Sebastian. “I know, all right?  _ I know _ .” He stormed over to stand in front of Dr. Wells. “In the past thirty six hours, I’ve had my ass handed to me  _ twice  _ by the guy that tortured me as a kid.” Sebastian ignored Kurt’s “Wait, what?” and continued on. “I couldn't stop him then and I can’t stop him now. Even with my powers, I’m still  _ powerless  _ against him.”

Sebastian had to deal with Tony’s bullying every single day before he moved to Westerville and it seemed that no matter what, Tony would always get the upper -

“Not necessarily.” Sebastian looked at Dr. Wells. “Cisco.” He watched as Cisco walked over to one of the computers. “Any material, if struck at a high enough velocity can be compromised.

“We ran an analysis on the metal in Tony’s footprint.” Cisco said. “Based on its density and atomic structure, if you impact it at just the right angle, at just the right speed, you could do some serious damage.”

Sebastian sighed as he considered it. “How fast would I have to go?”

“Factoring in the metal’s tensile strength…” Cisco started to type on the computer. “Estimated dermal thickness, atmospheric pressure, air temp., you’d have to hit him at approximately…” Cisco leaned in closer to the monitor. “Mach one point one.”

Sebastian scoffed as Caitlin exclaimed, “You want Sebastian to hit something at eight hundred miles per hour?

“Eight hundred thirty seven, actually.”

“That’s faster than the speed of sound.”

“ _ I know _ .” Cisco grinned excitedly. “He would create a sonic boom, which, as I said before, would be awesome.”

Sebastian sighed in disappointment. “I’ve never gone that fast.”

“Yet,” Dr. Wells stated.

“I can’t believe we’re actually entertaining this idea.” Caitlin turned to Cisco. “I mean, he’d need a straight shot from  _ miles _ away.” 

“Yeah,” Cisco nodded. “Five point three miles, theoretically.” 

Sebastian groaned.  _ Great… Just great.  _

“Do it right, you’ll take him down,” Dr. Wells said.

“Do it wrong…” Caitlin walked over to Sebastian with worry in her eyes. “You’ll shatter every bone in your body.”

_ What are we supposed to do?  _ Sebastian’s disappointment mixed with his anger and embarrassment like a bad smoothie. A heavy silence filled the room before Kurt spoke up from the chair he was sitting in.

“Why are you all acting like this is the only answer? Sebastian’s not the only one with powers.” Kurt gestured to himself. “I can help.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Like how you were such great help today?”

Kurt’s eyes hardened. “I scared him off, didn’t I?”

“You  _ let him  _ get away.”   
  
“Well, it would be foolish to jump headfirst into a fight with him when we don’t even know how to defeat him. At least  _ I  _ thought things through.”

“Oh? Is that you’re reasoning? Because I think you didn’t go after him for a different reason.  


“And what’s that?” Kurt crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, challenging Sebastian.

“Because you're a coward.”   
  
Kurt stood up so quickly from his chair that it rolled backwards from the force. “You have called me many things Sebastian Smythe, but don't you ever call me a coward!”

“Well that's what you are! You're just some pathetic man who’s in way over his head!”

“I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!”

Sebastian knew that once the argument was over he would immediately regret his words. His biggest regret from high school was the way he reacted when things didn’t go his way. He now knew that no matter what happens in your life, nothing excuses the terrible way you treat people. And he knew that, he did, but Kurt just brought something out in Sebastian that - 

“Really? Is that why things didn't work out with you and Blaine?”

As soon as Sebastian said it, he wished he could take it back. All the anger in Kurt’s face disappeared and was replaced by pure hurt. Kurt then shook his head and his expression morphed into one of indifference.

“You know what? I'm done,” Kurt said as he picked up his messenger bag.

“Wait, Kurt don't - I'm sorry, it just came out.” Sebastian started to walk over to Kurt but stopped when the man held out a hand.

“You said I could leave  _ whenever  _ I wanted to. So, I'm leaving.” Kurt turned to face Caitlin, Cisco and Dr. Wells, who had all been watching the exchange off to the side. “It was nice meeting all of you. I - I'm sorry that this didn't work out. Good luck with Tony.”

Kurt quickly walked out of the cortex and then the room was filled with a deafening silence. Sebastian stared at the floor, unable to take a glance at his team. All he wanted to do was speed away, but he knew that avoidance wasn't going to help him in the long run. So, he took a deep breath as he gathered his nerves and turned toward the trio off to his left.

"I'm… sorry you guys had to see that."

"You're 'sorry'?" Caitlin looked towards the speedster, her eyes piercing. "What are you sorry for? The fact that you hurt Kurt even  _ after  _ he helped you?”

Sebastian held his hands out and took a few steps away from the fuming woman. He looked at the other men standing in the room. Cisco was looking at the ground and when Sebastian and Dr. Wells made eye contact, the speedster looked back at Caitlin. "Look, we have this complicated history and and he just brings out a part of me that I - I'm ashamed of and that I regret. This isn't how I -" Sebastian took a deep breath. “I’m just not exactly in the best place right now and I took it out on him, which I… shouldn’t have done.”

Caitlin seemed to ponder what she was going to say. “I can see that you know that what you did was wrong, so I won’t give you a lecture... _ but  _ you should  _ at least  _ apologize to Kurt. And maybe ask him to come back on the team. His powers are extraordinary.”

Sebastian sighed. He knew Kurt deserved an apology for everything he had said, but facing the person you had hurt was one of the hardest things to do. 

\---

“Hey! What is this? Where the hell am I?!”

“Somewhere you'll never hurt anyone ever again.” Sebastian replied with a feeling of accomplishment. He couldn't believe he had actually defeated Tony, and it felt good to have a win after so many losses.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Tony growled.

Sebastian stepped out of the shadows and watched as realization dawned on Tony. “You know who I am.”

“Smythe?”

“The thing that happened to you, Tony, it happened to me too. But it didn't just give us abilities. It made us more of who we are. You got strong. I got fast. Fast enough to beat you. You used your gift to hurt people.” Sebastian shook his head. “Not anymore.”

“Smythe,” Tony said with alarm as Sebastian started to back away and out of the particle accelerator.

“Smythe… Smythe, don't walk away from me, Smythe!” Tony pounded on the door as Sebastian turned away and the entrance started to close.

Tony continued to call after Sebastian as the entranced fully closed. Sebastian pumped his fist and struck a pose, filled with the feeling one only got from defeating a past enemy.

“Dude,” Cisco said. “That has to feel great.”

“You have no idea.” Sebastian grinned as they started to walk back to the cortex.

“Almost as good as proving me wrong about the supersonic punch?” Caitlin asked. 

“Actually, that part hurt. Like, a lot.” Sebastian turned to face Caitlin and Cisco. “But I couldn’t have done it without you guys.” 

“All I wanna know is,” Cisco started. “Which childhood bully of ours are we gonna take down next? Mine or Caitlin's?”

“Well,” Caitlin said with a pointed look in Sebastian’s direction. “The first thing that I think one of us needs to do is talk to Kurt.”

Sebastian sighed. “Caitlin…”

“Fine.” She held up her hands. “I’ll drop it.”

Sebastian knew that Caitlin was right, that he needed to make it up to Kurt, but he figured that going back the man’s office would only cause Kurt to call security on the speedster. He would find the right time… he just didn't know when.

As the three of them made their way through the hall, Cisco asked Caitlin, “ _ Now,  _ can we talk about Sebastian beating up Jake Puckett?”

\---

A week later, Sebastian was stuck staring at the Flash suit filled with a feeling of uselessness. Thanks to the electricity sucking metahuman, Sebastian was powerless… and there was nothing he could do about it. He turned his head when he heard someone approaching and saw Caitlin standing next to him. 

“You think I’ll ever wear it again?” He asked her.

“I hope so.”

Sebastian sighed. “I didn’t have my speed for very long. But now that it’s gone, it feels like a part of me is gone too.”

“With or without your speed, you’re still you, Seb.” 

“But I’m not.” Sebastian shook his head. “I’m not the best version of me. I  _ love  _ being the Flash. I love everything about it. The feeling of running hundreds of miles per hour. . . Wind and power just rushing past my face. . . Being able to help people. . . “

Ever since he had gotten his speed and every time he used it to save people, Sebastian felt like he was making up for his past. When he pulled someone out of the way of a speeding car, he was making up for the careless way he treated people. When he saved someone from a burning building, he was making up for almost blinding Blaine. And when he stopped a metahuman from using their powers for evil, he was making up for driving Karofsky to attempt suicide. “...I’m not sure I can live without it, Caitlin.”

Caitlin looked like she was about to say something, but Cisco walked into the room.

“Farooq Gibran.”

“Who?” Sebastian asked.

“The powers vampire who jacked your speed,” Cisco explained as he handed Sebastian a tablet. “I hacked into surveillance footage from the substation. It was easy to find a match.”

“He climbed an electrical tower the night of the accelerator explosion,” Sebastian read.

“No surprise where his powers came from,” Caitlin spoke from behind Sebastian’s shoulder.

Sebastian turned to her as one of the computers started to beep. Cisco ran to it and clicked a button before he groaned.

“Oh, you’ve got be kidding me. This is not happening.”

Sebastian walked over to the screen and his heart dropped at what he saw. 

_ “Dr. Harrison Wells, I need to see you!” _ Farooq Gibran said as he stared at the security camera with electricity crackling around him. _ “Come on. I know you’re inside. Open the door.”  _

Sebastian shared a nervous look with Caitlin. He had no idea what they were going to do. 

_ “I just wanna talk Dr. Wells. Wells! Let me in!” _

Farooq continued to stare at the camera, before all of a sudden he turned to his right, and blasted open the fuse box. Sebastian’s heart sped up as the lights inside STAR Labs started to flicker on and off, and then the power went off completely. _This can’t be happening._

And then the building started to shake, and Sebastian knew that what he had been fearing had happened. 

“He’s inside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now on to the next chapter...


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter:

Kurt sighed as he re-read the article he had written for the ninth time. He knew that he should send it in to Ms. Roberts, but a lifetime of rejection was making him doubt himself. Kurt leant his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, letting the television show he had put on for background noise calm him.

“Alright, Hummel…” He told himself. “You are going to open your eyes and click send, because you know that the article is flawless. Alright?”

Kurt took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and clicked send. _Now all that’s left to do is wait._ He slouched back into the couch and turned his attention to the TV. He let his mind wander, thinking back to the week before. He had actually _liked_ working with the people at STAR Labs and had found that Sebastian was surprisingly good company. You know, until the man had brought up Blaine.

Kurt had thought that the only feeling he felt towards Blaine after he had closed the door was anger. But sadly, even after so many heartbreaks, it didn't get any easier to ignore the hurt. No amount of burying the pain was going to change the fact that Blaine broke his trust. _Again._

Kurt reached for the remote, ready to change the channel to something he was actually interested in, when the lights in his apartment started to flicker. Kurt looked at the lamp standing next to him curiously, when he noticed that this was happening to the other buildings in the city. He stood up from the couch and walked over to the window, surprised to see that there wasn’t a storm brewing outside. _What on Earth could be causing this?_

Although it was probably a mishap with the power lines, the paranoid part of Kurt wondered if he should patrol the city and try to find the cause of the quivering lights. After the lights shut off completely in his apartment, and all over the city, he realized that _yeah, I should probably go and figure out what’s going on._

\---

Kurt flew above the city, concealed by darkness. He had been flying for no more than five minutes, when he heard the sounds of police sirens. Kurt followed the noise, and found himself above the CCPD. Before he could be spotted by the bright lights shining in his direction, Kurt flew down and stood against the wall of the precinct, just close enough that he could hear what was going on.

“Captain,” a man in a SWAT uniform said. “Tockman has at least ten hostages. Two officers down.”

“Copy that.” The captain started to walk forward. “When is the power back?”

“We’re on gennies for now,” another man answered.

Kurt was about to try to find a way inside when he heard the captain’s phone ring. “Not now…” Kurt strained his ears but he couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation. “There’s a hostage situation, Sebastian, and Joe’s inside. So’s his daughter. I’ll call you when I know more.” The captain shut his phone off and walked away.

_Holy crap. Why isn’t Sebastian here?_ Before Kurt had heard the captain, the asshole was far from his mind. But now all Kurt could think about was what type of trouble Sebastian was in that kept him from trying to save all these people. And then Kurt realized something else. Joe and his daughter must be Sebastian’s adoptive family…and the jackass would definitely be here if he could. So Kurt knew that there must be something more going on than this hostage situation that was keeping Sebastian occupied…but what could it be?

Kurt shook his head, realizing that now was not the time to be wondering what the meerkat was up to. He walked backwards a few steps and looked up at the side of the building. Apprehension soon filled his bones as he realized that if he failed this…if he couldn’t rescue these people from a madman, innocent people could lose their lives.

Was he ready for this? Was he ready to put other’s lives in his own hands? This wasn’t your average robbery or mugging…this was a big deal. Should he step back and let the police handle it?

_No,_ Kurt thought with a newfound determination. _You’ve taken on bullies and ignorance and people who thought that just because you’re different means that you’re somehow worth less than them, you can do this..._

Kurt took a running leap and jumped, lowering the gravity around him. He felt the wind against his face as he hovered in front of a window. With the little light he had, Kurt peered through it and sighed as he discovered that the only way to get inside was to break it. “Of course _now_ is the time that I have to break government property,” he murmured as he flew back.

Kurt took a deep breath and zoomed forward. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms right before he made impact. Glass shattered like crystals all around Kurt as he dropped to the ground. Blinking away the dizziness from his eyes, Kurt slowly stood up as he checked his face for any injuries. Sighing in relief when he found nothing, Kurt regarded the room he was standing in.

Shelves littered the walls, filled with various boxes. There was a desk off to Kurt’s right and to his left, a board with the map of the city on it. Kurt turned a full circle as he scanned the area, before his eyes landed on the broken window and Kurt remembered why he was there. He walked toward the slightly open door and pushed it open further. Kurt stepped out of the room and looked to the right. After some slight hesitation, Kurt walked that way, thinking he heard some noise coming from that direction.

Kurt walked through the hall before he came to a stop when he reached a mezzanine. He looked to the floor below, hiding himself slightly behind a wall. There was a group of people - the hostages - sitting in a circle. Some of them looked to the side, where a man stood staring out a window, talking to one of the hostages. _That’s gotta be Tockman._

Kurt walked slowly, crouching down as he made his way to the middle of the staircase. His eyes widened as a detective with blonde hair crept slowly toward Tockman, his gun raised at Tockman’s turned back. As the man moved forward, Kurt moved further down the staircase until he reached the bottom. None of the hostages seemed to notice the metahuman, all of their eyes trained on the detective.

“So however long I have in this life,” Tockman spoke, his voice filled with regret. “I promise not one second more will be spent in a prison cell.”

The sound of a gunshot followed Tockman’s vow. Kurt flinched slightly at the noise and was about to try to figure out if he should leave, seeing as the professionals seemed to have everything under control, when Tockman swerved around and shot the detective who had shot at him.

The detective flew back as one of the civilians yelled “Eddie!” Tockman then ripped open his shirt, revealing a bulletproof vest inside. He marched toward the circle, speaking into the device in his hand.

“An officer was just shot 9.2 seconds ago. I’d pick up the pace in meeting my demands, Captain.”

As Tockman motioned with the hand that was holding the gun, and before Kurt could think twice about it, Kurt stretched his arm out. The gun went flying into the wall to the right of Tockman as Kurt finally made himself known. The hostages turned to him, a mix of hope and fear in their eyes. Kurt self consciously reached his hand up to his face, making sure his mask was still there.

“And who might you be?” Tockman asked after a moment of silence.

“The man who’s going to stop you.”

Before Tockman could try to grab the gun that was laying on the floor, Kurt leapt up and flew over to him. The metahuman grabbed hold of Tockman and put the man’s hands behind his back. Kurt looked down at the detective closest to him and with a slight hesitation, used his powers to yank the handcuffs off of him.

“Care to take over detective?”

The detective nodded as he stood up. Kurt let go of Tockman as the detective put the pair of handcuffs that were attached to his belt onto the madman. Kurt then went to the middle of the circle and knelt down to the detective - _Eddie,_ Kurt remembered - who had been shot. He turned to the woman who had yelled Eddie’s name and said, “I’m going to take him to the hospital, alright?” She nodded as Kurt picked up the man, lightening the gravity surrounding Eddie, and flew off to the hospital.

\---

Kurt scrolled through the article on _Central City Picture News_ ’ website, too distracted to focus on any real work. The article was about the hostage situation the day before and said that Detective Eddie Thawne was going to be okay, much to Kurt’s relief. It talked about Kurt - well, the _Gliding Guardian_ , was what it called him - and described him as a hero. Kurt was just happy that he was able to save people. Although, he really needed to come up with a better name.

“You did an amazing job yesterday.”

Kurt swiveled around in his chair quickly to see Sebastian standing behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Kurt asked before glancing at the object in the man’s hand. “...With a fruit basket?”

“Oh, uh…” Sebastian glanced down at the colorful basket in his hands before holding it out to Kurt. “It’s an ‘I’m sorry’ slash ‘thank you’ basket.”

Kurt took the basket slowly while he examined the man before him. He placed the basket in his lap before looking back up at the speedster. “Thank you for what?”

Sebastian sighed. “For saving my adoptive dad and sister... and my adoptive sister’s boyfriend who also happens to be my adoptive dad’s partner -”

“Oh,” Kurt interrupted what was probably _a lot_ of family drama. “They were part of the group of people taken hostage?”

“Uh, yeah, my sister’s boyfriend probably wouldn’t have survived if you weren’t there, so I just wanted to thank you for being there when I couldn’t.”

_Oh wow. Sebastian really does have a heart…_

“Well, of course, I was just doing what any good superhero would do.” Kurt made sure to keep his voice down, even though the room was empty. “Why weren’t you there?

“Oh, I lost my powers.” Kurt’s eyes widened before Sebastian quickly elaborated. “But I have them back now.”

Kurt chuckled slightly. “How did you manage that?”

“A metahuman that could control electricity,” Sebastian grabbed a chair that belonged to one of Kurt’s coworkers and sat down in it across from Kurt. “who was also able to suck the energy - or my powers - out of me.”

“Wow, that’s…” Kurt trailed off, letting a heavy silence pass between the two of them. Kurt glanced at the fruit basket and wondered if Sebastian was gonna mention the last time they saw each other.

“And also… I’m _really_ sorry about what I said… it wasn’t my place to say anything about you and Blaine, or to insult you in the first place. I was frustrated…and hurt and I -”

“It’s okay, Sebastian. I’m sorry about what I said too. And I’m not…” Kurt sighed. “I’m still hurt… but I get why you lashed out.”

“Okay,” Sebastian nodded. He seemed like he was hesitant to say what he was going to say next. “So would you maybe wanna come back and -”

“Yeah,” Kurt smiled. “I would like to join the team. For real, this time.”

He had been thinking about it since the day he left, and Kurt had decided that if Sebastian apologized, then he would join the team.

“Really? That’s great!” Sebastian broke into a smile before he seemed to realize who he was with. “I - I mean that’s...uh...nice...welcome to the team.”

“Thanks,” Kurt said amusedly as he shook Sebastian’s outstretched hand. “Well now all I have to do is come with a name. You know, something better than the Gliding Guardian.”

“Yeah, _definitely_...”

They dissolved into silence before Sebastian spoke up. “What about Quantum?”

“What?”

“For your name.”

“Quantum…” Kurt let the name roll across his tongue before a grin spread across his face. “I like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and hopefully I'll post the next chapter soon


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...good news is that I'm updating (finally!), but after fitting in time to write this chapter I decided to just post it without that much editing even though I'm not super happy with how it ended up :/
> 
> Hopefully once summer starts I'll be able to update more often...hopefully

“Iris,” Sebastian said, vibrating his vocal chords.

“Flash,” she smiled.

Sebastian had received a message from Iris and after dodging Caitlin’s unwanted advice, had raced over to _Jitters_. He knew that the doctor was right, and that he shouldn’t be talking to Iris in disguise. But he couldn’t help himself. It was the only way to talk to his best friend about the new and exciting aspect of his life.

“It’d be great to call you by your real name.” Iris walked forward.

“You mean like ‘Ralph’”?

“Is your name Ralph?”

Sebastian speeded down to Iris’ level. “What did you want to see me about?”

“My boyfriend, he’s a cop… and he thinks that you’re dangerous.” She started to walk towards Sebastian. “And he’s trying to convince his boss that you’re a menace that needs to be stopped. I thought I should warn you.” She sighed. “Anyways, you should probably go.”

Sebastian frowned in disappointment, but the feeling quickly dissolved when Iris smiled.

“You’re not going.”

Sebastian smiled back, but quickly turned his head away when he heard Cisco’s voice through the intercom. “Hey Seb, you there?”

“What?”

“Police got a ping from the tracer in the stolen cash. SWAT team’s closing in on the 1600 block of Pass.”

“Now stop ruining Iris’ love life and go,” he could hear Caitlin add.

Sebastian rolled his eyes before turning to Iris. “I’ve gotta run.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” Iris said.

“What other girls?” Sebastian raced off down the streets of Central City, before realizing that maybe Caitlin had been right about his meetings with Iris affecting the woman’s relationship with Eddie. But that was something to ponder over for another day.  
\---  
Sebastian sped through the winding road, passing Oliver’s motorcycle before he stopped in front of Felicity and John. “By the way, I gave Oliver like a half-hour head start.”

“Hi, Sebastian,” Felicity smiled in greeting.

“Hey, Felicity.” It was nice to see her after all the drama with Kurt and all the drama with Iris. He knew Felicity would be happy to lend an ear.

He turned toward John. “How you doing, Dig?”

“...You’re fast.”

Sebastian glanced at the man’s shocked expression before asking Felicity, “Did you guys not tell him about me?”

“Well, seeing is believing. Or…drooling.”

_I can’t wait to see John's reaction when he meets Kurt._

Sebastian and Felicity chuckled as Oliver came speeding up.

The speedster walked toward Oliver as the man got off his motorcycle and headed in their direction. “Hey,” Sebastian spoke as his eyes subtly roamed over Oliver’s body, because that man looked amazing in leather. “Thanks for showing up back there, but I had that.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I was getting ready to make my move,” Sebastian defended.

“What move? The one to the morgue?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. He had wanted to show off his powers to Oliver at some point, _but I guess tonight just isn’t my night_. “Wait, so what are you guys doing in Central City?”

“Working a case,” Felicity replied. She bent down to pick up her bag and began to rummage through it. “Suspicious homicide in Starling where the murder weapon…” She pulled out a plastic case and held it out to Sebastian. “…is a boomerang.”

He took the boomerang out of the case and turned it around as he marveled at the feel of it in his gloved hand.

“Cool,” he breathed, before glancing at Oliver’s disapproving stare. “I mean, awful.”

“I found traces of iron oxide on it,” Felicity explained. “I know it’s a longshot, but Central City has the highest concentration of iron oxide in the country.”

Sebastian nodded as Felicity held out the case for him to place the boomerang back inside.

“We were following up a lead,” Oliver started. “When we heard the SWAT raid over the radio and I thought that I would come by… watch you make your move.”

“ _Ha ha_.” Sebastian was about to say something back when John spoke up.

“I had a cousin who got hit by lightning once. He just developed a stutter.”

“Huh...well, my team and I are after a nasty metahuman who makes people angry.”

“Cool. I mean, awful.”

Sebastian smirked at Felicity before saying, “Ah well, since you guys are here, why don’t we team up? I’ll help you find your boomerang man and you can help me find my super rageaholic.”

“We’d love to,” Felicity grinned as Oliver said, “No, we’ll handle our business and head home.”

Sebastian glanced to the blond man curiously before Felicity quickly butted in.

“The fastest way to find out about the boomerang is to sic STAR Labs on it.”

“Enough people know my secret identity,” Oliver said.

“Fine,” she said. “ _I’ll_ go. They already know who I am.” She started to walk down to Oliver’s motorcycle. “You can drop me off and I can meet up with you later.”

“How about I give you a lift?” Sebastian picked Felicity up bridal style and sped down to STAR Labs, putting the woman down in the middle of the cortex. “So, what’d you think?”

Felicity staggered, glancing around the room. “I think…my shirt’s on fire!”

As Felicity tried to quickly take her blouse off, Sebastian was about to try patting the flames out before realizing that _nope, that is not a good idea_.

“Oh my - sorry!” He quickly reached down for Felicity’s bag as she threw her shirt to the ground. He held it out to her and she quickly held it tight to her chest.

“I’m glad I decided not to go braless,” She sighed.

_Yeah, me too_ , Sebastian thought before he noticed Cisco and Caitlin had walked in. “You guys remember Felicity...”

“I’ll always remember this.”

Sebastian opened his mouth to retort but Caitlin sprung into action.

“Hi, Felicity.” She handed a STAR Labs sweatshirt to Felicity. “It’s so good to see you. What…uh…brings you back to Central City?”

“Oh...uh…” Felicity put the sweatshirt over her head before before reaching into her bag to pull out the boomerang. “I’m here because of this.”

She held it out to Cisco who grabbed it and breathed out, “Awesome. What are the wings made of?”

“Not sure. I’m thinking some sort of composite or high-density plastic...”

Cisco nodded. “Reinforced with carbon fiber...oh, that’s weird. It almost feels like it’s -”

“Vibrating.”

The two started to walk towards Cisco’s area of the cortex as Sebastian turned toward Caitlin.

“You guys come up with anything new on our meta?”

“The officer who was affected tonight said he saw a flash of red before he lost control. I suspect the meta is inducing rage via the ocular nerve.” Sebastian nodded, before Caitlin said, “Oh, and Dr. Wells wants to see you.”

Sebastian walked into the room Caitlin pointed toward to see not only Dr. Wells, but Joe.

“Why do I feel like I just got called into the principal’s office?”

He stood in front of the two men, his curiosity rising as Joe looked hesitant to speak.

“Starling City vigilante,” his adoptive father spoke.

_Why are they asking about Oliver?_

“He calls himself the Arrow now,” Sebastian corrected.

“Oh, does he...Flash?”

The speedster glanced confusedly to Joe before looking to Dr. Wells. “Wait, what’s the problem?”

“We don’t trust him,” The doctor replied.

“You guys don’t even know him.”

_Do they not know how much Oliver has helped?_

“I know that he was wanted for murder in at least twelve different cases dating back three years.”

Sebastian stared incredulously at Joe as Dr. Wells added, “I know there’s been two major terrorist attacks in Starling since he became active.”

Sebastian crossed his arms. “The cops are cool with him now. He doesn’t kill people, not anymore.”

“What about all those criminals he put arrows through?” Joe asked. “Those, what, don’t count?”

Sebastian knew that they had a point, but…

“He’s a hero, Joe.”

“ _You’re_ a hero, Sebastian.” He looked to Dr. Wells. “You offer protection, hope, light. What that man does is carry out a dark reckoning for his city. It is a brutal, _violent_ vision of justice...one we do not share. You truly think he is a hero, fine, so be it...but he’s not the kind you should be looking up to.”

While Sebastian felt some satisfaction at the praise from the man he idolized, he knew that he needed to defend Oliver and the great things that he had done for his city.

He opened his mouth to respond, when he heard the sound of glass shattering.

Sebastian and Joe quickly raced into the cortex and saw Caitlin screaming and being chased by the boomerang Felicity had brought in. He quickly ducked as it flew over his head, barely managing to think of a way to help when the boomerang stopped mid-air.

Sebastian turned to the entrance of the cortex where Kurt stood with his arm held out in front of him.

“So…” Kurt jerked his arm back and caught the boomerang as it flew toward his hand, flinching slightly when some glass crashed to the ground. “What did I miss?”

Sebastian watched as Felicity stared wide-eyed at Kurt, before she raced over to him and started to talk a mile a minute. He chuckled at Kurt’s bewildered expression as Joe asked the speedster, “Is that the meta who stopped Tockman?”

“Yeah, he is. Here, I’ll introduce you two.”

Sebastian started to walk towards Kurt before Joe stopped him. “Seb, don’t forget. I want that Arrow out of my city...tonight.”  
\---  
Sebastian walked through the door at Jitter’s and made his way over to Felicity and Oliver. Joe’s demand of getting Oliver to leave rang in his ears and Sebastian was still unsure about how to do it.

“The bad guy that you’re after,” Oliver quietly spoke. “The one who robbed the bank, his name is Roy G. Bivolo.”

“Uh...thanks. How did you find that out?” Oliver looked down at the table as Sebastian quickly asked, “The guy’s still alive, right?”

At Oliver’s glare, Sebastian put his hands up. “I’m just asking. I thought you didn’t want to help.”

“I’m not. It’s just a name.”

“Alright.” Sebastian nodded before he moved out of Iris’ way.

“One nonfat latte, extra sugar, for Felicity…” She placed Felicity’s cup in front of her before turning to Oliver. “And one coffee, black, for Oliver.” She put Oliver’s cup down and Sebastian had to stifle a laugh over Iris’ obvious crush on the blond man. “I brewed you a fresh pot, so…”

“Thank you,” Oliver said.

“Seb, um, can I talk to you for a second?” Iris asked, not turning her attention away from Oliver.

“Yeah.” Sebastian followed Iris as she led him away from the table before his adoptive sister smacked his arm.

“Ah! What are you doing?”

“You did not tell me that you knew Oliver Queen!”

“I’m sorry, am I required to report back to you every time I meet someone?”

“Oh my God, he’s even more handsome in person...” she sighed, looking back at the table.

“At least there’s something we can agree on.”

“...And his arms are _twice_ the size of yours…”

Sebastian bristled. “Technically they’re not twice the size...”

“He’s on my three list,” Iris stated, stopping when she reached the front of the coffee shop.

He looked at her in bewilderment. “What’s a three list?”

“Something you’d know about if you were ever in a long-term relationship.”

“Iris…” Sebastian didn’t want to start the ‘you should find a boyfriend’ conversation again.

“Fine,” she sighed. “It’s my list of three guys I’m allowed to cheat on Eddie with. You usually don’t meet people on your list, but now here he is and I just cannot stop staring at him…”

“Well, I can’t blame you…”

Iris shook her head. “Well, I have to get back to work. I’ll see you later.”

She walked away toward the counter as Sebastian made his way back to Oliver and Felicity, surprised to see that there was someone else talking to them.

“Kurt? What are you doing here?”

“Well, I came here to get some coffee when I saw Felicity and Mr. Dark-and-Gloomy.” Kurt took a sip from the coffee cup in his hand before he asked, “Do all vigilantes look like they have a war going on in their heads or is it just you two?”

Sebastian looked at Kurt in surprise before he turned to Oliver whose glare was aimed at Felicity. The speedster started to take a few steps away from Oliver before he realized that Kurt was looking at him with an amused smile.

“ _You told him_?”

“What? No, I didn’t,” Felicity answered Oliver before she looked to Sebastian. “Did you?”

“I didn’t, I swear.” He stared at Kurt before asking, “How did you figure it out?”

“Besides the fact that ever since the vigilante first popped up in Starling I learned everything about him thanks to my obsessed friend,” Kurt began with his voice down. “I knew that he was in Central City, that he works with Felicity _and_ that she is sitting next to Oliver Queen who happens to bear a striking resemblance to the vigilante. It wasn’t that hard to put the pieces together.”

_Damn...looks like I’ve been underestimating Kurt._ If he was being honest, Sebastian used to believe that all Kurt thought about were the latest fashion trends.

“Well then,” Sebastian chuckled. “I guess you should know that the name of the meta we’re hunting is Roy Bivolo.”

“How did you -” Kurt glanced at Oliver. “Oh. So does that mean he’s gonna help us?”

“Sadly, he’s not going -”

“Okay,” Oliver interrupted Sebastian.

“‘Okay’, what?”

“Okay, we’ll help you catch your bad guy.”

“Really?” Sebastian shared a surprised look with Kurt. “Great. And it’s ‘metahuman’.”

Oliver crossed his arms. “I am _not_ calling him that.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey...look who's back

“Where’s Sebastian?” Oliver asked.

“I’m not sure,” Kurt said as he walked over to the blond man, watching where he stepped. “As I continue to work with him, I begin to see why he was given his power.”

At _Jitter’s_ , Oliver had suggested that the three of them should meet up at the warehouse to go over the case. They had planned to meet there two hours later and Kurt had arrived on time, unlike a certain speedster.

“Well, since he’s not here, why don’t we discuss your run-in with William Tockman.”

“The Clock King?” Kurt came to a stop next to Oliver. “What about him?”

“We can talk about you and Sebastian giving your enemies silly code names later.”

Kurt crossed his arms. “Like that’s any sillier than naming yourself after the weapon you -”

“The _point_ is that you crashed through a window, which could have let Tockman know that you were in the building if he was closer in hearing distance to the window than you thought. He then could have  thought that the police weren’t following his orders and injured the hostages before you could get there.”

“Sure, there was no one hundred percent guarantee, but I saved the hostages.” Kurt shook his head. “Why are we talking about this?”

“Because, Kurt, this shows that you don’t think things all the way through when you go into these fights. You need to look at every possible angle before jumping in.”

“If I look at every possible angle I’m going to waste time.”

“And that is why we are here.”

“I thought we were here to discuss the case.”

“We are here to train.”

Kurt stared at the man incredulously. “Train? I can’t train in these clothes, they’ll get ruined!”

“Then why don’t you -” Oliver stopped as yellow lightning made its way through the road and towards them.

“Seb, how can you have super speed and still not be on time?” the blond asked.

“Sorry,” Sebastian said, walking over to them. “I guess the super tardiness kind of neutralizes it.”

The speedster stopped next to Oliver. “So how do we catch Bivolo here?”

“Oh, no, we don’t here. We’re here to train.”

“What? Like Rocky?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “I’ll go change as you explain things to him.”

As Kurt walked to his car, he heard Sebastian ask Oliver, “Oh, are you going to change too? ‘Cause I wouldn’t mind watching that -”

“Sebastian, don’t make me shoot you.”

\---

_Well, it looks like Oliver doesn’t go back on promises,_ Kurt thought, grimacing at the memory of Oliver yanking the arrows out of Sebastian’s back.

After an hour of stopping arrows mid-air and throwing them back at invisible targets, Oliver had ended the training session. Kurt had been a bit wary of Oliver ever since he figured out that the man was the Starling City vigilante and since he shot Sebastian in the back, but the man seemed to know what he was talking about. He had experience and even if his methods seemed extreme at times, he was a good teacher.

Although Sebastian didn’t seem to think so. For the rest of the session Sebastian was - understandably - a little irritable, which was making it a little difficult for Kurt to start on his path of forgetting what Sebastian had said. Since Sebastian’s apology, the man had obviously been trying his best to be as nice as possible to Kurt. And while the effort was appreciated, it was a little unnerving to see Sebastian so nice.

Kurt shook his head. _Alright, time to get back to writing this article._ _No more thinking about Sebastian_. He rolled his chair closer to his desk, cracked his knuckles, and was about to start typing when his phone buzzed.

_Speak of the devil._

Kurt picked his phone up and tapped answer.

“Hey, how’s your -”

“Oliver wants to have another session,” came Sebastian’s grouchy voice. “Meet us there in an hour.”

“Okay...I’ll see you then.”

Kurt sighed as Sebastian hung up. Did he really want to train with a Sebastian that woke up on the wrong side of the bed?

Well, he wasn’t really given a choice.

\---

“...went after Bivolo last night alone…” Kurt got out of his car to see Oliver standing in front of Sebastian, the archer in his “lecturing” stance. “...and you lost him.”

_Wait, seriously? Wow, you go to work instead of going back to STAR Labs and you miss everything._

Sebastian scoffed. “And you’ve never had a misstep?”

Kurt stayed back. He had the feeling that if he stepped in, it would make Sebastian’s bad mood worse.

“Of course I’ve had missteps,” Oliver replied. “Sebastian, I have been living this life for almost eight years, encountering things that you can’t even fathom and I am still alive. Not because super speed kept me out of the ground, it was because I realized that I needed to keep learning, keep training, keep getting smarter. And until you get that, despite your best intentions, you will do more harm than good.”

Kurt could see Sebastian’s annoyance grow as Oliver’s speech went on. “I finally see it,” the speedster said. “You’re a little bit jealous of me, aren’t you? A guy like you, handsome, rich, can have any person he wants...jealousy’s probably a new emotion for you so you might be a little slow to get what it is that you’re feeling.”

“That’s your theory?”

“Absolutely. See, you can train, lift weights, climb that stupid bar until your heart explodes but you’ll _never be as fast as I am_. You will _never be what I am_.” Sebastian walked toward Oliver until he was right in front of him. “And that’s gotta hurt your rock-hard pride, _Ollie_.”

“I told Felicity you didn’t want my help,” Oliver stated as Sebastian walked away, right past Kurt.

“Yeah? You’re finally right about something.” He sped away, leaving the awkward silence that followed.

“That wasn’t - um,” Kurt tried as he walked toward Oliver. “I - uh - don’t think that was actually Sebastian.”

Oliver looked at Kurt with a perplexed expression.

“I mean yeah,” Kurt said. “It was Sebastian speaking, and he has said things similar to that but...it was fueled by this anger and this…” Kurt struggled to find the right words. “...feeling of being more powerful than everyone else that just _isn’t_ who Sebastian is..Even if he can be an arrogant jerk."

Kurt didn’t know what gave him the idea that he knew exactly who Sebastian was, especially after reconnecting with him for only a few weeks, but Kurt knew that he was right and there was something up with Sebastian.

Oliver looked like he seemed to get what Kurt was saying, but there was also something unreadable in his expression. “So, you're thinking Bivolo is behind all this?”

“Definitely.” Kurt reached into his jacket pocket to grab his phone. “I'm gonna call Caitlin.”

\---

It had taken the work of Oliver, Kurt and some colorful flashing lights to get Sebastian back to normal.

“I can’t believe you went after Detective Thawne,” Kurt said as he looked back at Eddie and Iris hugging. 

I can’t either,” Sebastian replied, taking a sip from his mug. “I guess I was a little annoyed that he was going after the Flash.”

“Yeah, a _little_.”

Sebastian opened his mouth when Oliver and Felicity walked through the door at _Jitter’s_.

“Hey,” Sebastian greeted. “Are you guys on your way home?”

“Yeah, I’m going to get something,” Felicity said. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll follow, I’m going to ask for a refill,” Sebastian said as he got out of his chair and followed Felicity.

“Well,” Kurt said, extending his hand to Oliver. “It was nice working with you.”

_It really was._ Oliver taught Kurt a lot and it was nice meeting him and his team. It seemed like Felicity and Kurt were on their way to being great friends and he knew they would keep in touch. Kurt wasn’t so sure about John though, the man seemed pretty freaked out when Kurt flew into STAR Labs.

“You too,” Oliver smiled, shaking Kurt’s hand. “You show great promise Kurt.”

Kurt cursed his pale skin as he blushed, but _who wouldn’t blush at a compliment from an attractive man?_

“Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you.”

Kurt’s hand dropped to his side as he looked behind Oliver’s shoulder at Sebastian and Felicity conversing. He smiled at Sebastian’s dramatic eye roll, when Oliver spoke up.

“ _But_ , there are still things you need to learn. One of which...you are not gonna like.”

Kurt fiddled with the mug in front of him. “...What is it?”

Oliver sighed and glanced back at Sebastian and Felicity before saying, “That’s not gonna work out.”

Kurt’s eyes widened as he stared at Oliver incredulously. “I’m sorry... _what’s_ not going to work out?”

“You and Sebastian.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Kurt shook his head. “Because that’s insane.”

“Kurt, I see the way you look at him and talk about -”

“No!” Kurt exclaimed before he realized where he was and lowered his voice. “ _No_ , there is no possible way that I have feelings for _him_. There’s no way.”

_Of all the people in the world, it had to be Sebastian that Oliver thought I had feelings for. I mean, I was just starting to trust Sebastian again. There is no way that I could like him in a romantic way after our history. I mean, yeah he has changed - supposedly - and I am seeing that he’s trying to be nice...but, really?_

Oliver held his hands up. “Okay, fine. I’m sorry I said anything about you two... _But_ ,” He sighed and looked back. Kurt could tell that Oliver’s sight was focused on Felicity. “I need you to know that in this line of work...you don’t get to be with the person you want.”

Kurt exhaled slowly. “...Good to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than I would have liked...but I seem to be in a more write-y mood so I am *hopefully* gonna start updating more frequently.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :D


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